Wireless networks, with their fast development, are available to provide data services based on a packet-based network. The integration of a wireless packet-based network and an Internet has formed a good foundation for the development of wireless data services. At the same time, the traditional mode of service charging in the wireless network, such as charging the voice service based on time duration, can no longer satisfy the demand of data services. Therefore, the charging mode of data service has become a focus in the technical field.
The charging modes of data services include volume based charging mode, content based charging mode, application based charging mode, and time-duration based charging mode. For example, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is charged by content, i.e., charged by each piece of message regardless of volume of flow. For another example, stream media video service may be charged according to the actual volume of flow, or charged by content as well.
At present, collecting points of charging information generally involve various devices, including Serving GPRS Support Nodes (SGSN), Gateway GPRS Support Nodes (GGSN), Wireless Access Protocol Gateways (WAP GW), and service servers. Typically, the volume charging information of a service is collected at the SGSN or the GGSN and it is sent to a Service Control Point (SCP) or other charging devices for cost deductions and terminal charges, while the content, application or time duration charging information is collected at the service servers and is sent to the SCP or other charging devices for cost deductions and terminal charges.